Social Media is your best friend when it comes to promoting your fundraiser. It’s the easiest way to spread the word about your campaign and encourage people from all over to support your cause. But if you’re not familiar with the ins-and-outs of all the different social media platforms these days, you might not know where to start! So here are some tips and tricks to boost your product fundraiser’s success with social media.
Why Social Media is Your Best Promotional Tool
It’s no secret that social media has transformed the way we connect and communicate. And guess what? It’s also a goldmine for fundraisers! Here’s why:
Wide Reach:
When you’re promoting your fundraiser, you usually go to family, close friends and maybe a few of your coworkers to ask for support. But what happens when you’ve exhausted your personal circle? Here’s where social media comes in. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have billions of active users, giving you the ability to reach a huge audience. Of course, you can tap into your personal network this way, but you can also extend your reach even further to their circles! The success of your fundraiser can skyrocket when your message is being heard by more than just those that you see on a regular basis.
Time & Cost-Effective:
Unlike traditional advertising methods, social media is free and only requires a small investment of your time! Don’t waste your afternoons plastering posters around your child’s school or daycare. With just your cellphone and an internet connection, you can create exciting content, share updates on the campaign, and connect with supporters—all while hanging out on your couch and not spending a penny!
Engagement Galore:
Social media platforms create community and encourage engagement through likes, comments, and shares. It’s like having a cheer squad right at your fingertips, boosting your fundraiser’s visibility and impact. The more engaged your audience is, the more likely they are to support your cause and spread the word to their own networks. It’s a ripple effect that can make a huge difference in your fundraising success.
Getting Started with Social Media Fundraising
No matter what platform your using, to truly get the most out of your fundraiser using social media you’ll need to start out with the basics:
Launch your campaign. Create an introduction post and let your community know that you’re fundraising. Tell them why your fundraising, who you’re fundraising for, explain the product that you’re selling and offer clear instructions on how they can make a purchase in support of the campaign. Make sure you include any links or order forms here. This post should go on all the social media platforms that you are active on!
Be consistent. Posting about your fundraiser one time isn’t going to make it a success. Make sure your being consistent with your promotional content so that your supporters are constantly reminded of your fundraiser. You may want to stick to a schedule of posting 1-2 times a week but figure out what works best for you!
Repurpose your content. Whatever you post on one social media platform should be posted on all of them! You will engage with different audiences depending on which platform your using, so its best to post your message everywhere to ensure you have the widest reach. For example, Facebook is typically popular with the older crowd, whereas TikTok is used by a much younger audience.
Use pictures! Posts that include an image are much more likely to be seen and engaged with by your followers! This is a no-brainer on Instagram but try to use pictures wherever possible, even when posting on Twitter or Facebook. You can take your own pictures of the product you’re fundraising with or create promotional images using websites like Canva. Some fundraising companies will even provide you with premade images to share, like Mabel’s Labels Fundraising!
Leveraging the Social Media Trifecta: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Facebook:
Facebook is like the cheerful neighbor who’s always ready to lend a hand. Here’s how you can leverage its features for your product fundraiser:
Create Events:
Organize fundraising events on Facebook and invite your friends and their networks! A great way to use this feature and increase sales is to host a virtual live selling session where you showcase the product and talk about your fundraiser. Utilize Facebook’s event features to share your event details, send personal invites, and chat with attendees. Encourage your circle to invite their friends and share the event on their own profiles, expanding your reach even further.
Live Videos:
Go live on Facebook to give your network an insider’s look into your fundraiser. Maybe you go live to share a milestone you just hit, highlight top sellers, or host a Q&A to address any questions about your campaign. Don’t forget to engage with viewers through the comments! Live videos create a sense of urgency and authenticity and lets your supporters connect with your cause on a more personal level.
Instagram:
Instagram is all about the aesthetics! Make the most of this visually-driven platform with these strategies:
Eye-catching Visuals:
Post high-quality, eye-catching images of your products, team members, and fundraising milestones. You want to entice your followers stop scrolling and engage with your post. Experiment with different photography styles, colour schemes, and filters to create a recognizable identity for your fundraiser. Use the caption section to tell an encouraging story, share updates, and any include any other important information about your fundraiser.
Post Stories:
Create story highlights on Instagram to showcase your journey, fundraising goals, and impact. Use interactive features like polls and questions to engage your audience and gather feedback. Make sure you take advantage of Instagram’s “Highlights” feature! It allows you to compile all your best content in one place and makes it easily accessible on your profile to new followers and supporters. Create highlight categories such as “Milestones”, “Events”, or “Products” to provide a complete overview of your fundraiser.
Twitter:
Twitter is all about live updates and staying in the know. Its the perfect platform for spreading the word and creating buzz around your product fundraiser. Here’s how to use it effectively:
Hashtag Power:
Leverage trending hashtags and create your own campaign specific hashtags to increase visibility. Encourage your followers to retweet and share your content using these hashtags. For example, if you’re fundraising with Mabel’s Labels, use hashtags like #MabelsLabelsFundraising, or #labelitorloseit. Engage with trending hashtags that are relevant to your cause or fundraising activities allows you to join conversations and reach a wider audience.
Make it Short and Sweet:
Twitter only allows for 280 characters per tweet (this includes spaces!) so make sure you’re using them wisely! This is a great platform to share a brief message and the link that your supporters need to purchase from. If you find yourself struggling to include all relevant information and stay below the character count, an easy way to get around this is to create an image with all your fundraiser details on it and post it along with the tweet!
Other Creative Social Media Strategies
Contest Craze!
Engage your social media followers with fun contests related to your product fundraiser. For example, ask them to share a photo of their purchase on their own socials and offer a prize to a randomly selected winner! The more interactive and entertaining the contests, the more engagement you’ll receive. Encourage participants to share their entries, tag their friends, and use your fundraiser’s branded hashtags to maximize reach.
Storytelling with Impact
Craft compelling stories that tug at the heartstrings of your audience. Share personal anecdotes about why your cause is important to you and how their support can make a difference. Personal stories have a powerful impact and can inspire others to contribute to your fundraiser. Testimonials also have a positive impact on your fundraiser. People will be more inclined to participate if they know a friend has done so first. Encourage your supporters to share their own stories and experiences with your fundraiser through their social media accounts, further amplifying your message and fostering a sense of community.
As you can see, social media is your not-so-secret weapon for rocking a successful fundraiser. It’s all about using it in the right way to connect with people you never would’ve reached otherwise. So, when you’re in charge of the next campaign, put these tips into action and get ready to blow everyone away with your expert social media skills.
Happy fundraising, you’ve got this!
